Designed on the principles of Origami, the Uphold Cup is a foldable, portable, reusable travel cup that goes from a tumbler to a flat-packed disc when not in use. The cup’s materials are food-grade, BPA-free, and can carry beverages of up to 100°C in temperature. The Uphold Cup uses polymer Polypropylene (PP) as its body material which is relatively stiff, while also providing the ability to fold multiple times (live hinging) without breaking.

Designers: Eric Tong and Hannah Morris for Uphold

The Uphold cup’s unique form encourages an almost telescopic-inspired folding action. The cup, which can hold both cold and hot beverages, uses a methodical, mathematical design to allow it to open and fold the way it does. However, although its form is purely a result of its unique function, it gives the Uphold a distinct characteristic that makes it a visual and tactile delight! Sure, the cup’s primary function is to hold your liquids when you need it to, and fold down to its puck shape when you don’t… but just the interaction built into the Uphold is so incredibly engaging, I won’t be surprised if I find myself constantly opening and closing the cup just as a fidget toy!

The Uphold Cup ticks two important boxes with its redesign – reusability and compactness. Made as a rejection of the single-use culture, the cup can be used over and over again, thanks to its food-grade design that’s also easy to clean. Each Uphold comes with an air-tight silicone lid to secure the contents of the container, and an aluminum sleeve to hold the Uphold in its closed position while it’s in your purse or backpack.

The Uphold Cup is a winner of the Goldreed Industrial Design Award for the year 2021.